Satyr (WoW)
The original satyrs are the descendants of the kaldorei highborne, the first being Xavius, who allied directly with the Burning Legion during the first invasion ten thousand years before the First War. Introduction Masters of demonic magic, all satyrs have been transformed into their current shapes by inheriting the demonic curse that originated with Xavius. These immortal demons delight most in inflicting emotional and physical pain upon their enemies. Both spellcasters and non-spellcasters have joined the ranks of these bestial demons, who have increased physical strength and an incredible talent for manipulation. Like Xavius, all satyrs have the ability to pass their curse on, and they have gleefully done so. The curse has therefore continued to spread, although it has weakened over time, and so very few satyrs are still being created. New satyrs can only be created by preexisting satyrs. Over time the satyrs discovered that they could pass their curse on to races other than the night elves. Although most satyrs today are former night elves, satyrs have therefore also been created out of other races. According to scattered reports, there are both male and female satyrs; however, researchers have failed thus far to secure irrefutable evidence of female satyrs on Azeroth. History War of the Ancients The history of the Satyrs starts with Xavius and the first Burning Legion Invasion in the world of Azeroth. Xavius was a Highborne loyal to Queen Azshara and the Burning Legion, tasked with opening and securing a portal connecting the Twisting Nether and Azeroth, a portal that Malfurion later managed to seal. Sargeras, creator of the Burning Legion, was enraged by Xavius' failure and tortured his disembodied spirit for some time before deciding that Xavius might, after all, still prove useful. To that end, Sargeras created a new body for Xavius, who became the first satyr in existence. From the waist up, Xavius resembled his former night elf form, but his fingers now sported a set of sharp claws, and his head bore two horns. His goat-like lower body, however, had hooves and a long leonine tail. Pleased with his creation, Sargeras sent Xavius back to Azeroth to further the Legion's ends. Xavius spread the demonic curse to other creatures--at first primarily other power-hungry Highborne who lived in Zin-Azshari. Despite the fact that Malfurion ultimately destroyed Xavius again, satyrs worship Xavius to this day in the hope that he will again return to Azeroth and lead them. Nor are the satyrs the only ones who invoke Xavius' name. Scattered individuals venerate Xavius because they hope to become satyrs themselves. Fortunately such practices are not widespread. War of the Satyr After the Legion's defeat, remaining demons and satyrs later rallied against the night elves in the War of the Satyr. The demons proved a powerful opponent to the night elves, but proved especially vulnerable to the uncontrollable Pack Form. The satyrs were ultimately defeated by the newly formed worgen of the Druids of the Scythe. The war completely decimated any semblance of central leadership for the satyrs, forcing them to live in small sects to this day. Third War Thousands of years later, during the Third War, the Satyrs play a small, but still important role in the Legion's invasion. They first appear during the Orc campaign of Reign of Chaos, after Mannoroth spills his blood into a Fountain and corrupts the surrounding area. The Satyrs (attracted by the Fountain's corrupted powers or even former Night Elves changed into Satyrs by the Fountain's corruption) try to defend the Fountain from the Orcs that try to consume its energies in order to defeat Cenarius. As a result of this confrontation, this small group of Satyrs are slaughtered by the Orcs. Later, the Satyrs appear during the Night Elf campaign of Reign of Chaos, now as demons under the command of the Burning Legion (under the Dread Lord Tichondrius). They try to stop the Night Elves, led by Tyrande and Malfurion, from awakening the Druids of the Talon, but they are killed by the Night Elven raid. Later the Satyrs face and try to stop Illidan Stormrage, who wants to not only cleanse the land known as Felwood, but also to consume the Skull of Gul'dan, the source of fel energy that was corrupting the land. They failed to defend the Skull, and were murdered by Illidan's army. Ironically, the Satyrs will reappear during The Frozen Throne events under Illidan's command. The Frozen Throne A small group of Satyrs join Illidan's (now twisted into a demonic body) ranks alongside the Naga. This group, located in Azshara, tries to stop the group led by Maiev Shadowsong from reaching their master, near the Night Elf docks. They also manage to capture and torture a few Night Elves. Luckily for the Night Elves, Maiev manages to free them all and kill all Satyrs who tried to stop her group. During The Frozen Throne events, this group of Satyrs was still made of members of the Burning Legion, since Illidan was an agent of the Legion. It seems that not all Satyrs led by Illidan were slain. During The Burning Crusade events, players can notice that Illidan has some Satyrs under his command, who probably joined his ranks during The Frozen Throne, based on the fact that that was the only moment when Illidan (now as a demon lord) was seen in Kalimdor (the only place where you could find Satyrs by that time). World of Warcraft Five years have passed since the Legion's defeat, yet a great number of Satyrs can be found living in the lands of Kalimdor. They live in small groups, each group with its own leader, and each group with its own goals. The ultimate goal of all the groups is still the same of the first Satyrs to ever wander Azeroth: Corrupt the land and its creatures. Some groups still remain in contact with the Burning Legion, while others act independently, but one thing is certain; they are not fully independent beings at all. When the Legion calls, they will answer. Some Satyrs work by themselves, spreading the corruption amongst groups of Furbolgs and Moonwells and even giving missions to anyone who accepts them. One Satyr in particular is part of a very complex, and still promising part of the lore, the Twilight Corrupter. It looks like he was attempting to corrupt a moonwell, located near one of the portals that lead to the Emerald Dream. He was the only Satyr, by the time World of Warcraft events began, who lived in the Eastern Kingdoms (Duskwood), making people wonder how he got there. Possibly he used the Portal, indicating that he came from the Emerald Dream. This could indicate that the Satyrs or the Burning Legion are behind the Emerald Dream's corruption by the Nightmare. Then again, as the Nightmare seems to have been created by the Old Gods, it could just mean some satyrs have chosen the Old Gods as their new masters similar to how some Satyrs followed Illidan. Only time will tell the answer... All the groups of Satyrs of Kalimdor suffered great losses by members of both Alliance and Horde, and most of their leaders were killed, but it's very likely that most of these groups still exist. The Burning Crusade Some Satyrs, who likely followed Illidan, now serve their new master. That was the first time when Satyrs cut the relations with the Burning Legion and served a new master. They are very few and located in Shadowmoon Valley. This group shares territories (old Draenei ruins) with other Servants of Illidan, such as Succubi and Dread Lords, while others live in the Black Temple and help with its defense against the Shattrath offensive against the temple. Wrath of the Lich King A small group of Satyr, known as the Unbound, live in the Crystalsong Forest. This group share a peculiar mutation that turned them into "crystal satyrs". What caused this mutation and what this sect of Satyrs is doing in Crystalsong is still unknown, but evidence shows that they are corrupting the Treants and Ancients that wander there. The Cataclysm With the threat of the Twilight's Hammer some Night Elves have relied on calling on the help of their imprisoned Satyr brethren, though very distrustful an example of this nature can be displayed on Mount Hyjal, one Tyrus Blackhorn, and there are some who seek redemption from the wretched form like a satyr in Ashenvale known as Avrus Illwhisper who eventually is saved through a series of quests and turned into Avrus the Redeemed. Arch Druid Navarax, leader of the Emerald Circle in Felwood, is a disguised satyr. Ecology Description These former elves were taken by the demons and twisted into shapes that more accurately reflected their nature. In place of their former sinewy elven bodies, they now possessed massive hairy forms, standing upwards of 9 feet tall. Their hands became claws, their feet replaced by cloven hooves and horns sprouted from their head. Culture Satyrs possess little culture. Their society is loosely hierarchical, and they are organized into groups. Each group is called a "sect". A sect of satyrs lives in the same geographical region and has a specific mission. Satyrs of different sects get along only some of the time. They live in ruins scattered throughout northern Kalimdor and Desolace; satyrs prefer places of corruption to make their homes, such as Felwood and certain areas of Darkshore. Their sects are small, usually no more than a hundred individuals. Satyrs are cruel and sadistic creatures. They enjoy tormenting other creatures, particularly intelligent ones. Satyrs patrol their territory, hoping they can find travelers they can eviscerate in the most bloody manner possible. They operate at a faster level than their former selves — while before they may have been stately and calm, they now burn with feverish energy. Their movements are swift and jagged, like predators sensing prey. Organization Satyrs are organized only loosely, into a variety of sects. When the alarm sounds, all members of a sect throw themselves into battle. Like all demons, when the Legion calls, they scramble to obey. Few creatures clash with satyrs on their own territory, however. Satyr camps are well hidden and often located in areas already dangerous, like Felwood. They are also well protected; only army divisions or powerful adventurers could hope to rampage through a satyr community. Thus, most encounters with satyr forces occur elsewhere — often on the roads and paths through the forests. Satyrs have no sense of honor, especially concerning warfare. They do whatever is necessary to destroy their opponents, preferably causing a good deal of pain — both physical and psychological — at the same time. They prefer ambushes and scare tactics, perhaps stalking a group for several days, leaving subtle clues to their presence to make their prey more and more paranoid and fearful; then they strike. They enjoy incapacitating their enemies with nets and dark magic so they can carve them up at their leisure; they also enjoy the fear and panic they cause when they weaken and capture and bleed instead of outright kill. Few satyrs become warriors or barbarians, so they do not possess the tough, front line soldiers that other forces do. In their strongholds, they must rely on corrupted ancient protectors to serve in this capacity; but when they strike out at others, they are weak in this area. Many satyrs become rogues, and this disparity is one reason they prefer ambushes and guerilla tactics — hopefully, satyr rogues can incapacitate enemy warriors soon after combat is joined, thereby leaving them free to strike at vulnerable spellcasters and war machine crews. Satyr rogues who distinguish themselves — or show a certain penchant for painful traps and ambushes — are called satyr tricksters. Satyr ranged support usually comes from magic. A few satyrs become necromancers or warlocks; some become dark spellcasters called soulstealers or hellcallers. Satyr rogues are fairly common. Some rogues take some training as warlocks in order to add some curses to their repertoire; these individuals are called shadowdancers. Warlocks, necromancers, hellcallers, and rogues work well together; the rogues dart in to disembowel their enemies while the spellcasters summon reinforcements, enhance their allies, hamper their enemies, and call up blasts of entropic flame. Languages Satyrs speak Eredun, and whatever was the primary language of the satyr's former life. Darnassian, Low Common, Goblin, Orcish, and Thalassian are often secondary languages (unless one of these was the satyr's primary language in his former life then it remains one of their primary languages). Satyrs pick up the languages of their enemies and those creatures who they might find useful. Trivia (None) Category:Races Category:Fey Category:Demons Category:Humanoids Category:Creatures